LTC – Will Air Travel Continue for the Next 2 Years?

For a number of years, Central Government employees have been enjoying the benefits of Leave Travel Concession (LTC). When a Central Government employee is employed at a place that is not his home town, then, once every two years or twice every four years, he/she is eligible to reimburse the travel expenses incurred for travelling to and back, along with the entire family.

A BLOCK YEAR consists of four years. The current block year runs from 2010 to 2013. This is divided into two – 2010-11 and 2012-13, and concession to travel to the home town is offered twice. Instead of two trips to home town, the employee is eligible to convert one of them as ALL INDIA LTC concession. Those who haven’t availed of the concession of the 2012-13 year block can utilize it in 2014.

Depending on their designation, the employees are eligible to utilize air, ship, rail and road transportation facilities, along with the travel class.

In the year 2010, in order to develop Jammu & Kashmir and North-East Region, it was announced that Central Government employees are eligible to travel to these regions via air from Delhi and Kolkata respectively. It was also announced that the travel expenses could be claimed in advance. Following this announcement, Central Government employees have started travelling via air, along with their families. From the HEADQUARTERS, where they are employed, they have to travel to New Delhi or Kolkata by train and go to Shri Nagar or Gauhati by airplane.

This concession is given in two categories, on the basis of grade pay. Those with GP higher than Rs. 4200 and above are eligible to travel from the airport nearest to their work headquarters. Those with GP lesser than Rs. 4200 will have to travel to Delhi or Kolkata by train and continue only the rest of the journey by airplane.

These concessions were initially announced for only two years and then extended to 2013. Each BLOCK YEAR can be carried forward to one year, i.e., those who haven’t utilized the facility in 2012-13 BLOCK YEAR can avail of it until December 2014.

This wonderful opportunity will draw to a close very soon. The Government has issued permission to travel by air to the NORTH-EAST REGION until 30.04.2014 and to JAMMU & KASHMIR until 17.06.2014.

Question is – Will this concession be extended for the next two years?